Calm Breath
by Little Wolf Girl
Summary: Romance can bloom anywhere, between anyone. Even between a girl and a certain dragon. [Chapter 2 and 3 reuploaded] Pairings: HaaxOC KyoxUo YxT
1. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. But I have a fruit basket from my Aunt in Cebu City somewhere around here…**

**Claimer: I own my OC and this plot, okiez?**

**Chapter 1 **

Tohru Honda blinked sleepily as sunlight poured into her room. She sat up and stretched, getting rid of any cramped up muscles. She pulled off the blankets and stood up, the hem of her bright pink kimono swishing around her ankles. She stood in front of the mirror and pulled on her clothes (Not the uniform) and the customary bow in her hair.

"Miss Honda, are you up yet?" called a voice.

Tohru felt a smile come to her face and her cheeks go red. It was a sunny day, she woke up happy, her hair cooperated with her, and now the first thing she heard that morning was Yuki's voice! Things couldn't have been more perfect.

"Yes, I'm awake Yuki-kun!" she called, tightening her bow. "I'll be down in a minute and cook breakfast!" She stepped away from the mirror and opened the door, revealing a one Yuki Sohma leaning against the wall. He was smiling gently to her, as he always did.

"Good morning Miss Honda." he greeted cheerfully. "That stupid cat isn't up yet and Shigure has been on the phone since 8 this morning, so I thought I'd have breakfast with you."

The two teenagers traipsed to the kitchen and started making breakfast.

"No, no, Yuki-kun. I'll cook. You just rest." insisted Tohru as she fried the bacon.

Yuki shook his head. "No Miss Honda. You're always cooking for us, so I'll help you this time." Yuki took Tohru's hand and helped her with slicing some vegetables. At the feel of Yuki's hand over hers, Tohru ceased complaining.

Suddenly, Shigure came in, the phone cradled between his chin and shoulder. "Of course I wouldn't mind you here Ya-chan!" he exclaimed.

There was a pause.

"I know Aya and Ha-chan would love to see you! And so would Kyo and Yuki and the others!" Shigure sounded delighted.

Another pause.

"Yes, okay. Goodbye." Shigure hung up and looked at Yuki and Tohru, and his happy smile turned into a smirk. But for now, he would forego the perverted remark on what Yuki and Tohru were doing while he was on the phone.

"Guess who's visiting!" he said excitedly. Yuki looked quizzically at Shigure for a few seconds before he sighed exasperatedly. "Ya-chan! Yasu Hirashi!" he exclaimed happily.

Apparently, this Yasu was a very important person to the Sohmas, as Yuki grinned widely and ran upstairs to tell Kyo. When they came back down, they were both rambling on about Yasu, and weren't even fighting!

Tohru smiled. Yasu must be a very interesting and nice person if she managed to make two totally opposite beings like her. But she was a little curious. Finally, she voiced her question.

"Gure-san, who is Yasu?" she asked.

Shigure grinned widely again before answering. "Yasu Hirashi is a very close friend of mine, Ayame's, and Hatori's. She was orphaned at an early age, so she grew up with us. At first Akito didn't like it too much, but she changed her mind after Yasu saved her life."

Tohru looked amazed. "She managed to save the head of the Sohma family?" she asked. "How?"

Yuki answered her. "Yasu was about 16 I think. At the time, Akito's father was the head. He had gone out on some business, leaving his daughter alone. Akito had a seizure, and Yasu performed CPR long enough to keep her breathing before the ambulance got there."

Kyo stopped rocketing around and added his own piece. "In gratitude, Akito's father allowed her to stay and treated her like a member of the Sohma family." he said.

Tohru nodded and settled to observe the Sohmas reactions to the news that Yasu was coming. Kyo was chattering nonstop, Yuki was eating calmly though a huge smile was on his face, and Shigure was grinning like a lunatic.

Tohru smiled. She couldn't wait to meet Yasu.

xxx

On a train speeding from the city towards the countryside, a young woman with long black hair and eyes in different shades of green sat on a seat far away from the door. Her multi-colored gaze was set on the window, focusing on the passing scenes.

'_It will be good to see the Mabudachi again.'_ she thought. _'I wonder if Aya-chan is still trying to get close to Yuki.'_

The woman laughed to herself as she thought of the last encounter the young rat had with a certain snake that she witnessed.

A 19-year-old Ayame had been trying to convince an 8-year-old Yuki to hang out with him and the Mabudachi. There was screaming, crying, pleading, and there would have been bloodshed had she not intervened and promised young Yuki that she would be there.

"Last stop: Okinawa." rang the cold metallic voice on the speakers. The woman smiled and pulled on her lilac jacket over a white form-fitting t-shirt and slightly flared denim jeans. She grabbed her black sports bag and got up to her feet. She thanked the conductor on her way out, and then jumped down to the platform.

'_Okay, Gate 2…ah, there it is.'_ the woman thought absentmindedly. She walked over to a gate at the far end of the station and handed her ticket to the guy at the booth. "Yasu Hirashi." she said in a monotone. The guy nodded and let her pass.

Yasu smiled at her surroundings as she walked to Shigure's house. Except for a few new houses and shops, everything looked exactly as it did when she left 6 years ago. She smiled warmly at a few people who recognized her.

But as she passed the Main House, the warm feeling that washed over her at being home dissipated. She clearly remembered her last encounter with Akito, and wasn't eager to repeat that. The female head had made it clear that while her father approved of Yasu being an unofficial Sohma, she did not.

"Okay Yasu. You're just going to pass it. You're not going in." she reassured herself. All the same, she broke into a sprint when she passed it. Finally, she reached Shigure's house.

She grinned, and raised a hand to ring the bell. There was the sound of scuffles, then a distraught Shigure opened the door.

"Ya-chan!" he cried excitedly. He grabbed her bags and dragged her into the house. "Boys and Tohru!" he called. "Yasu's here!"

Instantly, two teenaged boys with a girl in tow hurried into the living room. The boys flung themselves around Yasu. "Yasu-san!" they cried.

Yasu laughed and hugged both boys. "I missed you guys too, but I can't breath!" she laughed.

Blushing with embarrassment, Yuki and Kyo released Yasu. "So, how's my favorite sparring partner?" she asked, ruffling Kyo's hair. Then she turned to Yuki. "How's the base?" she queried.

"I'm fine!" Kyo piped up. "And so is Rat-boy's base." Yuki looked ready to hit Kyo, but restrained himself since Yasu was there.

Suddenly, Shigure slapped himself on the forehead. "I almost forgot." He pulled Tohru to the front. "This is Tohru Honda." he said. "She lives with us and knows about the curse."

Yasu smiled and shook Tohru's hand. "I'm very pleased to finally meet you Tohru-chan. Yuki has been writing to me a lot about you. So much that I couldn't wait to meet you."

Tohru grinned and bowed while Yuki blushed. "I am very pleased to meet you Yasu-san. Shigure-san has told me so much about you."

"Good things, I hope."

Shigure suddenly smiled widely. "I'm going to call Haa-chan and Aya-chan. I'm sure they will want to see the Female Mabudachi back home."

Yasu grinned. "Bring on the munchkins."

xxx

Momiji, Ayame, Haru, Kisa, Hiro, Ritsu, and Kagura were hanging out in Hatori's house, much to his displeasure. Momiji had invited them to come over, and the noise of collegiate and high school kids slightly annoyed him.

RRRRING

Hatori said a silent prayer for the disturbance and went to the kitchen for the phone. He picked it up. It was Shigure.

"Hey Haa-chan. Wanna come over?" Shigure asked.

Hatori sighed. Some distraction. "Why?" he asked. "Did Yuki beat Kyo again?"

Shigure snickered. "No, better. Ya-chan's back!"

Hatori nearly dropped the phoned. "Are you sure? You better not be kidding me Shigure." he said.

"I'm not. Come over in a few. I'm sure she'd like to see every one else. Especially you." teased Shigure.

Hatori blushed lightly and thanked him then hung up. He walked back to the living room and said the two magic words that sent every one else scrambling to his car.

"Ya-chan's back."

xxx

"YASU-CHAN!"

Yasu smiled at the barrage of kids running from Hatori's car and towards her, crushing her underneath hugs.

"I missed you!"

"Are you staying?"

"Where did you go?"

Yasu grinned at them. "I'll answer your questions, but please, let go. I can't breath."

The kids all got off her, revealing Hatori standing above her, smiling gently.

"Haa-chan!" Yasu cried. She stood up and flung her arms around Hatori, and a few seconds later, where the doctor previously stood was a 2 inch tall seahorse.

Yasu giggled and picked up the seahorse, and then walked into the house with the other kids. Shigure greeted the other members of the Zodiac, then grinned at the tiny seahorse in Yasu's palm.

"What were you two doing that made Haa-chan turn into a seahorse?" he asked pervertedly.

"It was a hug old man." retorted Hiro, who was very protective of Yasu as he was with Kisa. "Nothing more."

Shigure frowned at the retort of old man, but said no more.

Later that evening, in the dining room, they all enjoyed Tohru's cooking, then they begged Yasu for a story, like she used to tell them when they were younger.

"Come on!" Yasu laughed. "The last time I told you buggering lot a story, you were kids! You're teenagers now."

"Pleeeeeease, Yasu-nee-chan!" begged Kisa in a soft voice. She made her eyes water and stuck her bottom lip out. "I'd really like it if you told us a story."

Yasu sighed. She could never win against Kisa's pouty face and watery eyes. "Fine." she sighed. "Let's go to the living room, and I'll tell you a story."

Complying, the Sohmas plus Tohru went to the living room.

xxx

Yasu looked at all the expectant faces around them, and then began her story.

"Long before the Zodiac came into existence," Yasu began. "God invited thirteen animals to a banquet at his palace. The rabbit, the boar, the tiger, the dragon, the dog, the rat (Kyo clenched his fists), the ox, the snake, the sheep, the horse, the rooster, the monkey, and the cat."

Yasu smiled at the slight shock then the small smiles that graced the faces of the Sohmas. She was telling the history of their curse.

"The rat, who was very bitter rivals with the cat, decided to play a trick on him." Yasu glanced at Kyo, and for a second their eyes met. The message was clear; "Can I go on with the story? You might not like it."

Kyo looked back at her, and his eyes gave the answer; "Yes."

"The rat told the cat that the banquet was to be in two days. But what the cat did not know was that the party was actually to be on the next day."

"On the night of the party, the rat arrived first. God noticed that the cat had not come, but decided to deal with it later. To reward the animals who had gone to his palace, God put their images into the Heavens as the twelve Zodiac signs."

"The rat got an extra reward, since he was the first one to arrive. He had one wish, and could do anything with it. When the cat found out, he was angry, and all the animals made fun of him because he was the only one who did not get his image in the skies."

"The cat was angry, and explained to God what had happened. He gave the cat a wish as well."

"Meanwhile, the rat had wished all the animals to be locked into human bodies, and to only come out when a member of the opposite sex hugged them. The animals were sad, but the rat had been given a heavenly power. Nobody could stop him."

"The cat took this as a perfect way to take revenge. He wished that he had the power to remove the curse, but only when the animals apologized to him, and meant with all their hearts. Or when his human host was content with his life. So content, that the curse did not matter."

Yasu was about to end the story formally, when she saw all of them, minus Hatori, were asleep. Kisa and Hiro were curled up in her lap while the others were scattered on the floor or in chairs.

"They had a long night, eh Haa-chan?" Yasu asked amusedly.

"Apparently so." the doctor said, hilarity evident in his voice. "Who should we let sleep in the rooms?"

Yasu pondered it for a bit. "There are five rooms. Kisa and Hiro can stay in one, Momiji and Haru in another, and as much as I hate to do this, Yuki and Tohru, Kyo and Kagura."

Hatori looked at the sleeping people. "Yeah. Ritsu, Ayame, and Shigure are way too heavy for us to move."

Kisa, Hiro, and Momiji were easy to move. They were light. The bigger problem was Haru, Yuki, Tohru, Kyo, and Kagura. Thankfully, they managed it.

After moving the kids, Yasu changed into her pajamas and offered for Hatori to stay. Seeing as it was very dark, and no doubt everyone at the Sohma Main House was now asleep, he accepted. Yasu dug out some of Shigure's clothes for him, and the two fell asleep on the couch (No pervertedness please. You are not Shigure).

"Goodnight Ya-chan, and welcome home."

"Goodnight Haa-chan."

xxx

**A/N: Wow, my first chapter is 16 pages long! Hope that was good enough for you guys.**

**Well, I think there should be enough hints in this story as to what the pairings are. At least I hope there are…**

**BTW, I decided to go with the manga, so our Oh-So-Ever-Beloved (I'm being sarcastic) Head of the Sohma House is a girl. A bitchy one at that…**

**Please review! And if you really want to help, add criticism and suggestions for pairings. I already have Yuki and Haa-chan's pairing up, but I'm still undecided on Kyo and Shigure. I am a BIG ShigurexMii fan, but if you guys don't want, I won't post. Also, I don't know whether to make it KyoxKagura or KyoxUo-chan. **

**Jaa ne,**

**Little Wolf Girl**


	2. Letters

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. (Sigh)**

**Claimer: I own the OC and this plot, so BACK OFF!**

**Snaps to my first reviewer, ClampLover! **

**I HAVE DECIDED! The pairing for Kyo will be KyoxUo-chan. And for Shigure, it will be ShigurexMii. I just LOVE love-hate relationships.**

**Kagura: NOOOOOOOOO! Don't you dare give my KYO-KUN to that witch Arisa.**

**Uo-chan: What did you call me? (Looks ready to hit someone)**

**Kagura: N-n-nothing!**

xxx

**Chapter 2**

"DIE YOU KUSO NEZUMI!"

Yasu watched amusedly as Yuki and Kyo battled in the front yard. Shigure was running around in circles screaming about his beloved house while Tohru was panicking.

"Who won in their last fight?" Yasu asked Haru, who was sitting beside her. He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair.

"I think it was Yuki. Of course it's always Yuki." he scoffed.

Yasu laughed. "Kyo's getting soft." she snickered. She stood up and brushed the dirt of her pants. "I'm going to cook breakfast." she yelled, but nobody except Tohru heard her.

"No Yasu-san. I'll cook!" she yelled, running after Yasu who was walking into the kitchen.

Yasu pulled out a tray of eggs from the fridge and shook her head. "No Honda-chan. You're always cooking. You need to take a rest." she said. She pulled out a frying pan and greased it with oil. "Yuki-chan is right. You work too hard."

Tohru grabbed some onigiri from the fridge and placed in the microwave. "Did Yuki-kun say much about me?" she asked. "In your letters, I mean."

Yasu sniggered. "Yes." she said. "He mentioned you in every letter. Would you like to take a look after breakfast?"

Tohru blushed but nodded.

xxx

"Bye-bye my little munchkins." Yasu said happily as the small troupe of Zodiacs got ready to leave.

"Who you callin' a munchkin!" snapped Haru.

"You, duh!" retorted Yasu.

The others snickered at this. Yasu bent down and hugged Kisa. "I'll come by tomorrow." she promised.

"Really, Ya-san?" asked Momiji.

Yasu ruffled Momiji's hair. "Really." she promised.

She waved enthusiastically as they all walked off. When they were gone, she turned to Tohru, who was waving off the other Jyuunishi as well.

"Come on Tohru-chan, I'll show you those letters." she said cheerfully. She grabbed Tohru's hand and led her up the stairs and to her room.

Tohru seated herself on the floor while Yasu rummaged around in her closet. Finally, she emerged with a big brown box.

"This contains everything the Jyuunishi have sent to me while I lived in the city." she said. "The letters are arranged chronologically and by the person who sent it."

She opened the box and pulled out a large and very thick manila envelope with the words "Yuki Sohma" scrawled onto it in large block letters. She opened it and drew a stack of letters out.

"These are Yuki's letters from high school, when he met you." Yasu said. She grabbed the first letter and opened it, then handed the paper to Tohru.

-- --

_Dear Ya-chan,_

_Today when I was walking home from school with Kyo, we saw a girl sleeping in a tent on Sohma property. Yes, a tent! God, how can anyone stand living there?_

_Anyway, Shigure offered the girl a place to stay in our house. Turns out that her parents are both dead, and she has nowhere to go. Sad, really. _

_Oh, I just found out her name. It's Tohru Honda. It's a nice name. It goes well with Honda-san's looks. She's really pretty. Apparently, Shigure noticed too, because when she was cooking dinner, that stupid pervert began singing "High school girls…high school girls…high school girls." _

_Stupid head. The baka neko and I punched him through the roof. After that, he kept moaning about his house. He deserved it. I'm sure that if you were here, you would have punched him too. Or at least screamed at him._

_Honda-san reminds me of you, really. You both are nice, sweet, and funny. She would make a good girlfriend for some lucky guy one day._

_Come back soon, okay? We all miss you._

_Yuki_

_-- -- _

Tohru blushed profusely. "Yuki-kun really thinks I'm pretty?" she asked.

Yasu smiled. "Apparently so." She pulled out the next letter and handed it to Tohru.

-- --

_Dear Ya-chan,_

_Honda-san found out about the Jyuunishi. I bet you're thinking, 'How can I be so calm when someone found out?', but relax._

_Akito didn't erase Honda-san's memories. He let her live with us, but in return she has to work. _

_Anyway, she found out because the baka neko tripped and landed on her. Stupid cat, can't even dodge a falling girl._

_But somehow, I'm glad that Honda-san found out about the curse. That way, I don't have to hide anything later._

_In reply to your letter, NO I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON HONDA-SAN!_

_But she is pretty…_

_Yuki_

_-- --_

Tohru felt her cheeks blazing red. Yasu giggled, then handed Tohru a thick paper envelope.

"The Jyuunishi sent me some pictures." she said.

The younger girl took the envelope and pulled out a thick sheaf of photos out. The first one was of Kyo running away from Kagura. If there was sound, Kyo would have been screeching like there was no tomorrow.

Tohru collapsed in giggles. The expression on the cat's face as the boar raced after him was just too much. "Oh m-my g-g-gosh, th-this i-i-is s-so f-f-funny!" she laughed.

Yasu smiled and joined in on the laughter.

xxx

"Is it just me, or is feminine laughter invading our house?"

Kyo looked irritatedly up at the dog that was attempting-attempting being the key word-to clean up the mess left behind by the Jyuunishi. "Duh." he said angrily. "Yasu and Tohru are up there, yakking away."

"Don't be so nasty baka neko." snapped Yuki. "This is the first time Honda-san has had someone female to talk with. How'd you like it if you were the only boy in a houseful of girls?" he said harshly.

Kyo shrugged. Shigure grinned boyishly. "I'd like that." he stated simply.

Two shoes flew directly at him. Soon after they made impact, Yasu and Tohru appeared in the kitchen door.

"Perverted remark?" Yasu asked. Kyo and Yuki nodded.

xxx

_Dear Ya-chan,_

_This is probably my 100th letter to you since I left Okinawa. Yes, I miss you that much, but I also need your advice._

_After reading your letter, I realized something. I am in love, very much in love, with Tohru Honda. Yes, I admit it. Every moment not spent with her is an eternity; every word she speaks is like the music of harps._

_I know, that sounded so corny, but that's really how I feel. My heart feels like a drum when I see her. Is that love? I think it is._

_Anyway, back to what I was asking you. Should I tell her?_

_Please reply A.S.A.P._

_Yuki_

-- --

Tohru smiled happily as she reread her favorite letter. After reading it, she had begged Yasu to let her keep the letter. She didn't have to beg. Yasu all but stuffed the letter in her mouth.

"He likes me." she whispered to herself. "No, loves me."

She snuggled the letter close to her heart, the carefully rolled it up, sealed it with a red ribbon, and hid it in her desk.

"He loves me." she sighed happily.

xxx

In a dark room in the Sohma estate, a young woman sat on the floor on a pillow, playing with a little bird that was perched on her finger. The wind that blew through the open window ruffled her short dark hair. Sunlight streamed in, but did little to dispel the shade.

The door creaked open slowly, sending a small stream of light into the room. A short and thin figure of a woman stepped inside, squinting in the dark.

"Akito-san," the figure said, fear coating her voice. "Hatori-san is here for your check up."

The woman looked up from the little bird, and followed its path as it flew off from her finger and made its way to the open window. Her gaze slowly turned to the helper in the doorway.

"Send him in." she murmured. Her voice was like a cold breath of wind from the Arctic Sea, icy and unemotional. The maid disappeared and came back with Hatori. She bowed low then left.

"Hatori, so very pleased to see you." the woman cooed.

"This isn't a social visit Akito." he said curtly. "I am merely here to check up on you." He took out a stethoscope and put it in his ears. He then held the other end to Akito's chest.

"But I want it to be." Akito said just as tersely. "And you should know by now Hatori, what I want, I get."

"Yes," said Hatori, moving the stethoscope to her left chest. "To you maybe. But to others they give up even what they need to see their loved ones happy." He removed the stethoscope. "I'm assuming you don't have any loved ones."

Akito glared at Hatori for a moment before grabbing his hand and pressing it to her breasts. "You can be the first." she said seductively.

Hatori pulled his hand away. "I can't."

"Because of Yasu?"

Hatori glanced up at the woman from his bag. "Excuse me?"

"Yasu." Akito laughed maniacally. "It was always Yasu. She loves you. You love her. It is that simple."

Hatori looked at her and completed his sentence. "I can't…and I won't. There is a difference."

"Get out."

Hatori left without any complains.

xxx

**Man, what a BEE-YATCH!**

**I missed some episodes of Fruits Basket; so I have no idea where they live. I'm just assuming they live in Okinawa, okay?**

**Jaa,**

**Little Wolf Girl**


	3. How The Rivalry Began

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. **

**Kyo: Good thing too.**

**Me: Shut up.**

**Claimer: I own my OC and this plot.**

**Kyo: Poor girl…**

**Me: (Brings out chainsaw) Wanna repeat that?**

**Kyo: N-no.**

**I hope I didn't make Yuki too OOC in the letter in the last chapter, where he said that he loved Tohru.**

xxx

It was now three weeks since Yasu had come to live at Shigure's place. In the time that she lived there, a change had come over everyone. Kyo's temper wasn't set off by every little thing. Yuki relaxed a little more. Tohru became even more cheerful and tried her best not to hide her emotions. Ritsu started gaining a bit of his confidence back (Although he still wore women's clothing). Also, the others visited more frequently.

One cold, Tuesday morning, Yasu awoke to very loud shouts and terrified screams. Stumbling over the sheets, she pulled her long hair into a loose bun and shuffled down the stairs to see Yuki and Kyo fighting again, Shigure moaning about the damage to his house, and Tohru running around in her school uniform, screaming bloody murder.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" she roared. At the sheer volume of her voice, Kyo and Yuki stopped fighting, Tohru stopped shrieking, and Shigure stopped moaning.

"Kyo and Yuki are destroying my house!" sniveled Shigure.

"I can see that." Yasu said through clenched teeth. She guided Tohru to the kitchen, where she noticed breakfast was ready. She sat the poor girl onto a chair and gave her a cup of tea, which Tohru gratefully gulped down. Yasu then turned to Yuki and Kyo, both of who had followed her into the kitchen.

"What…happened!" she asked, stressing each syllable. Kyo and Yuki both opened their mouths to start screaming explanations at the same time, but Yasu noticed and banged her fist on both boys' heads. "One at a time." she said, trying to maintain her cool.

But both boys couldn't start without the other trying, so Shigure explained. "They were fighting about which fruit was tastier, apples or bananas."

Yasu rolled her eyes, and promptly slapped both boys. "You nearly gave Tohru a heart attack for THAT!" she shrieked.

Kyo stomped off, cursing and rubbing his sore cheek, while Yuki had the grace to apologize to Tohru and Yasu, both of whom forgave him immediately.

xxx

"You should have seen Ya-chan, Uo-chan. She made Yuki and Kyo stop fighting like that!" Tohru exclaimed ecstatically while snapping her fingers.

Uo looked thoughtful. "She actually shut Orangey up?" she asked in amazement. "Cool. If she can actually make Big Mouth shut up, I'd like to meet her!"

"I can hear you ya know!" yelled Kyo from across the classroom.

"And so!" Uo yelled back.

Hana and Tohru immediately moved away to avoid bloodshed. "I sense the waves of a strong emotion within Uo-chan." Hana said mysteriously.

Tohru gazed weirdly at her friend. "Anger?" she asked.

Hana shook her head.

"Hatred?"

"No."

"Umm…I don't really know." said Tohru, deciding to give up.

Hana looked at Tohru. "Feelings that are stronger than hate or anger reside deep within Uo-chan's aura." she said softly. "Feelings that give great meaning to her interaction with Sohma-san."

Tohru gasped. "She LIKES him!"

Hana just smiled mysteriously. "Stranger things have happened, Tohru-kun."

xxx

Yasu sung softly to herself as she washed the plates from breakfast. Shigure had gone out to hide from Mii, leaving her alone.

RRRING

The young woman sighed to herself and wiped her soapy hands on her jeans. She walked over to the phone and picked it up, twirling the phone cord around her finger.

"Hello?"

"Hello Ya-chan, this is Hatori."

Yasu felt shivers go down her spine at the sound of Hatori's voice, but suppressed the feelings from reaching her voice. "Ohayo Haa-san." she greeted. "What is it?"

"Yasu, I have some serious news for you. Akito has found out that you came back from Tokyo, and would like to see you." he said. His voice sounded grave.

Yasu gulped. She really didn't want to face off with Akito again. Not after what happened last time.

As if sensing her worry, Hatori quickly reassured her. "Nothing will happen Ya-chan. I'll be there."

Yasu gulped back her fear. "When does he want to see me?" she asked.

"This Saturday."

"Okay, thank you for telling me Haa-chan."

"You're welcome."

Yasu bit her lower lip. "Bye Haa-chan."

"Bye."

_Click_

xxx

Later that evening, Yuki glanced worriedly at Yasu, who was eating silently. Her face was serene but her multi-green eyes showed no emotion whatsoever.

"Ya-chan, are you alright?" he asked.

Yasu snapped out of her trance and looked up at him. "I'm fine, Yuki-kun." she said tiredly.

"No you aren't Yasu-san." Kyo said. "You look so worried."

Shigure eyed his old best friend and sighed. "Ha'ri called you, didn't he? About Akito?"

Yasu nodded.

Kyo looked confused. "But I thought you could handle Akito."

The young woman shook her head. "I can handle anything but Akito." she said sadly. "I put it down to a bad experience with her."

Tohru squeezed Yasu's hand. "Please tell us about it Ya-chan. Perhaps talking will help you feel better." she persuaded.

"Alright." Yasu took a deep breath. "Basically, Akito and I have had a rivalry of sorts. It started the day I saved her life…"

xxx

"_Haa-chan, they are so cute!"_

_A 12-year-old Yasu was walking with Hatori towards their house (She was already living with Ha'ri and knew about the curse). They had passed a pet store and the young girl had her nose pressed against the window, cooing to the tiny puppies and kittens inside._

"_Yes, they are." Hatori agreed._

"_Aww, I've gotta buy one!" shrieked Yasu. She ran into the store, and a few minutes later she came out with a cute black Labrador puppy with floppy ears._

"_Isn't she cute?" cooed Yasu. "I think I'll name her Stormie."_

"_It's the perfect name." agreed Hatori._

_The two finally arrived at Hatori's house on the Sohma Main House. They opened the door and introduced Stormie to her new home. After getting her acquainted with her surroundings, the two 12-year-olds decided to sack in front of the TV. While Hatori prepared snacks, Yasu got out a stack of horror movies she bought at the local video store and smuggled in._

"_Jeepers Creepers, or the Ring?" she asked, holding up two DVD cases with scary images on it._

"_The Ring." Hatori said, bringing a bowl of buttery popcorn and two orange sodas. "It's scarier. Plus, Sadako is a better ghost then the Creeper."_

"_Alright." Yasu placed the CD into the DVD player and switched it on. She climbed up onto the couch with Stormie in her lap then cuddled up against Hatori's shoulder._

_-- --_

"_NO! DON'T GO NEAR THE WELL!" whispered Yasu in fear. She buried her face in Hatori's shoulder, trembling, when the phone jumped up ringing._

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" shrieked Yasu. She grabbed Stormie and jumped behind the couch, shivering._

"_Relax Ya-chan." said Hatori, grinning at his friend. "It's just the phone."_

_Yasu frowned at Hatori and came out from behind the couch. "Shut up Haa-chan." she huffed. She plopped on the couch with a frown on her face._

_Still smirking, Hatori went over to the phone and picked it up. After a few minutes of hurried conversation, he hung up and went to Yasu._

"_We were called to baby-sit Akito." he said slowly. Yasu grimaced. She hated the brat._

xxx

"Wow, you were that easy to scare before." said Kyo in amazement. Yasu threw a leek at him. It hit him in the mouth and he shrieked with fear.

"Now who's easy to scare, huh Kyo?" she asked snidely.

Kyo frowned at her.

"Shut up baka neko. Let Ya-chan finish the story." Yuki snapped. Kyo glared at him before turning back to Yasu.

She sighed and continued her story…

xxx

"_Unnggghhh……unnnnngggghhh…….uuunnnnnnngggh……"_

_Yasu watched horrified as Akito rolled on the ground. Her eyes were rolled back and her mouth was frothing. Her hands clutched at the chest of her robe, as if it was suffocating her._

"_What's happening Hatori!" shrieked Yasu. She knelt down and supported Akito by the back._

"_She's having a seizure. Take care of her as best as you can. I'm going to call an ambulance." said Hatori hurriedly. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. Yasu turned her attention to the wheezing child on the floor._

"_Akito, don't panic." she whispered. She laid her gently down on the floor and placed her hands above her heart. She counted to three and pumped Akito's chest in time with her own heartbeat. "You're not going anytime soon you brat." she mumbled._

_She performed that for 5 minutes before the ambulance arrived and immediately put Akito on a life-support machine._

"_You did a good job there Miss Sohma." said one of the paramedics as he helped the gurney carrying Akito into the ambulance. "If you hadn't performed CPR, this young lady would have died."_

"_Oh no, I'm not a Sohma." she said softly. "Just a friend."_

_The doctor looked at her. "My apologies. But still, Miss Akito owes her life to you. That was a very heroic thing to do."_

"_I just pumped her chest!"_

"_But that delayed the seizure from affecting her heart." explained Hatori. "You really did save her live."_

_Yasu beamed._

xxx

"So shouldn't Akito be grateful to you?" asked Kyo. He was absentmindedly chewing on his fingernail.

Yasu looked out the window. "She should." she said.

"But Akito has never been the grateful type." finished Shigure.

"Exactly."

xxx

"_How can I ever repay you for saving my daughter's life?"_

_Yasu looked up at the Head of the Sohmas. He was standing, surrounded by other Sohmas. Akito was standing beside him. "Nothing much, sir." she said. "Just that if you wouldn't mind, I'd like the Sohmas to be an unofficial family for me. My parents died a long time ago and I have now where else to go to." _

"_Granted."_

_While everyone filed out of the room, Yasu stayed. She sensed Akito (Stupid little brat) needed, no, wanted to talk to her._

"_Yasu," started Akito once they were alone. "I appreciate you saving my life and all."_

"_I know."_

"_But I do not appreciate you stealing Ha'ri away from me." she sneered. "The next time we meet, it won't be pretty."_

_Yasu rolled her eyes. "I have not stolen your precious Hatori, you little brat. And the next time we meet, I doubt it'll be in anywhere slightly good, so of course it won't be pretty."_

_Yasu turned around and walked off. Before she opened the door, she turned back to face Akito. "You're welcome." she said coldly, then left._

_Akito burned with rage._

xxx

Yuki looked at Yasu. "You certainly handled that well." he said complacently.

Yasu laughed sardonically. "That was the last time I ever handled Akito like that. Akito stayed true to her word, our next meeting, 4 years later, was not pretty…"

xxx

"_I've never looked up the skirt of a girl." said Ayame loudly. The group was playing 'I've Never' at Shigure's house, and it looked like Hatori was winning._

_Shigure glared at Ayame and drank from his bottle of beer. "I hate you." he gurgled. "I have never…worn my hair in a braid."_

_Both Yasu and Ayame took sips from their cups. Now it was Yasu's turn. "I have never…studied medicine."_

_Hatori took a gulp from his glass. Just as he was about to make his 'I never' statement, the phone rang. Shigure leapt up to answer it. After the conversation, he came back, looking worried._

"_Yasu," he started. "Akito wants to see you."_

_-- -- _

_Yasu sneered at the woman sitting on the chair, gazing out the window. Perched on Akito's finger was tiny bird, twittering away._

"_Remember…4 years ago…Yasu Hirashi?" she asked coldly. _

"_Yes, I do." Yasu answered just as frigidly._

"_Well, now is the time."_

_Nobody knew what happened, but loud, piercing screams were heard from the room. Yasu stumbled from her quarters an hour later, bleeding profusely and gasping for breath._

xxx

"I don't want to elaborate what happened in that room." Yasu whispered. "But know that what that bitch did to me left a mark."

Yasu rolled up her sleeve and pointed to a long, thin X on her elbow. "Akito carved that herself, with a knife." she said. "She also killed Stormie before my eyes."

Shigure grimaced. "I saw the puppy's body. Not a pretty sight, I tell you."

Yasu then tilted her neck, where several, raw, red slashes were imprinted there. "More scars from your beloved Head." she said harshly.

Tohru looked at Yasu. She had been through more than she had imagined. "I'm sorry for dragging all that up again Hirashi-san," she said remorsefully. "I didn't want to pain you."

Yasu smiled at her. "I know Honda-san. I know. But I think you should all get to bed. You have school tomorrow."

All three teenagers wished the two adults goodnight, then went upstairs. Yasu stayed for awhile, before retiring to bed too.

xxx

**Yay! 19 pages! I'm so happy.**

**Wow, Akito is a bitch. She is in love with Hatori and thinks Yasu is his girlfriend, so she tortured the poor girl and killed her puppy. How sad… (sniff)**

**Anyway, I don't think I have fully described Ya-chan's eyes. The pupil is black (duh) and is surrounded by a ring of dark green. The iris is normal green, with flecks of light green and blue-green in it. The iris is surrounded by a ring of super light green.**

**For those of you who don't know, the game they played before Yasu was tortured is called "I've Never." It works like this. Those who play each have a glass of beer or some alcoholic drink. Then one by one, the players say things they have never done, like "I've never had sex before." or "I've never kissed a girl." The players who have done those things take a sip from their glass, and the first person with the empty glass loses.**

**I think.**

**Jaa,**

**Little Wolf Girl**


	4. AN: End Of Break And Reviews

**This is only an Author's Note, so I am so terribly sorry. I'll try not to do this again.**

**My semester break is over and I won't be able to update for three to four days. I'm very sorry, but my schoolwork does come first. If I flunk, I will have to go to summer school, and that would mean even less time to update.**

**GOMEN NASAI!**

**Before my mom makes me get off the net though, I'd like to make special mentions to the following people.**

**fullmetalalchemist287 – Thanks very much! I'm glad you like my story. Akito is a big bee-yotch.**

**sakuradayspa – Thanks! Hmm, you're right. I think I'll dedicate the next chappie to Yukiru. All Yukiru shippers, keep an eye out for it!**

**kyokunlover – Aww, you're sweet! I'm glad you like my OC.**

**i love athrun – Jesus girl, CALM DOWN! I'll get a new chap out as soon as possible! But thanks for reviewing.**

**That's all folks! See ya in three/four days!**


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